What is the distance light travels in a year, in miles?

The distance that light travels in a year, often referred to as a light-year, is approximately 5.879 trillion miles. This measurement is based on the speed of light, which is about 186,282 miles per second. To calculate the distance light travels in one year, you multiply the speed of light by the number of seconds in a year, leading to the conclusion that light travels roughly 5.879 trillion miles in a year.

This value is widely used in astronomy to express astronomical distances and is an essential concept for understanding scale in the universe. The specific figure of 5.879 trillion miles is mathematically derived and is recognized as the standard measure in scientific literature, making it the correct answer to the question.